R&M initiatives for the 60-degree V-6 engine manufacturing program

A Reliability and Maintainability (R&M) program has been implemented by the Ford Motor Company for manufacturing machinery and equipment purchased by Cleveland Engine Plant. This equipment is used to manufacture V-6 aluminum internal combustion engines in 2.5 and 3.0 liter configurations for use in Ford automobiles. This represents the first time within the company that equipment has been purchased using life cycle cost techniques and implementing R&M practices and analyses. The R&M program encompassed six major elements: supplier awareness, electrical control architecture, electrical equipment selection, application of life cycle cost techniques, a four part machine tool builder R&M initiative and a failure reporting, analysis and corrective action program. The requirement of the machine tool builders to consider R&M in the simultaneous engineering phase did not increase the bid prices of any of these original equipment manufacturers